Little Birdy
by lilkaykay
Summary: This is small stories as Tara grows up and her love for the Teller Brothers. who gets the girl is the end?
1. Chapter 1

Gemma and Kat stood side by side as they watched their kids play. It warmed their hearts watching Tara help Tommy swing while Jax and Opie were trying to see who could go higher.

"I think you're son has a thing for my daughter." Kat said giggling at the way Tommy watched Tara and Jax watching Tara as well.

"Yeah... Problem is, those words are true for both my sons" came the voice of John Teller as he walked up with Tom and Piney.

"Daddy!" Little Tara screamed out as she ran full speed towards her father.

"Luckily I'm the only man my daughter has eyes for." Tom said with a smile and laugh as he scooped Tara into his arms.

Gemma trained her eyes on the little girl who would most likely break one of her sons hearts one day. John wrapped Gemma in his arms and whispered in her ear "you know as well as I do. Tara's too good for either of them."

Gemma elbowed him in the side "no ones too good for my sons."

Twelve year old Tara sat in the circle with the rest of the kids at Susan Tooly's birthday party. Directly across from one Jax Teller and one Opie Winston. She was stuck between David Hale and Susie the birthday girl because neither of her supposed friends had saved her a seat. The game, so wisely chosen by the ditzy blonde birthday girl, was seven minutes in heaven. Which, Tara could think of a million other things she'd rather be doing for seven minutes. Though all the excited faces around her implied that her distaste wasn't shared. So of coarse Susie handed Tara the bottle first.

"Go ahead. Spin it already."

Tara took a deep breath and did a small mental checklist in her head of all the boys she wouldn't want to go into a closet with and spun it. She never once blinked as she stared at the bottle as it spun. Once it stopped she looked up and sure as shit Jax Teller was staring back at her. Tara popped up took the two steps to Jax's side of the circle and stuck out her hand.

"Come on Teller. Let's show'em how it's done."

Jax couldn't help the smile that spread across his face. Even practically knowing the girl from birth she could still surprise him. Susie was standing by the closet.

"Alright time won't start till after the door is closed. We'll keep spinning out here so once your up the next two can go."

Tara wanted to roll her eyes at the exciting blonde. For a split second she wondered if there was a specific boy Susie wanted to kiss or if she just wanted someone to kiss.

Tara looked over to see Jax giving Susie his best sexy smile as he said "Don't worry darlin'. I can be quick when I need to."

Tara gave Jax's hand a hard yank and next thing she knew they were through the door and it was being shut behind them.

"You know, you don't have to encourage her." Tara said crossing her arms

"You know. We're supposed to be showing them how it's done."

Jax smiled taking a step closer to Tara so they were inches apart.

"I'll only kiss you if you want me to." Jax said earnestly tracing his finger down Tara's arms. She couldn't help the smile that appeared on her face. Jax was always soft when it came to Tara. Tough as nails for the rest of the world but she always got to see this side. The unsure, sweet, and considerate boy she had grown up loving.

"Well... What if I just kissed you then." Tara whispered before crashing her lips into his.

Tara sat glaring at her mother from across the table. Two months. Her mom had known she's had terminal cancer for two months and never said a word.

"Tara, I know you're upset but we wanted to have definite things to tell you." Kat looked away from her daughter trying not to let tears slide down her own cheeks.

Tara swiped at her face furiously before she stood up. "No more secrets okay!" She practically shouted as she walked around the table and wrapped her arms around her mother curling into her lap as her dad stood behind them kissing her mother forehead.

"I just don't want to waist time doing things that aren't important." Tara sobbed out as she made the list of things shed waisted time doing instead of spending those precious hours with her mother.

"Honey... You have to live your life."

"But mom! How long do you have? Do they even know?"

"Months baby. Maybe even years. If we're lucky."


	2. Am I Alive

Thank you guys for reading. If you have any advice I'd apprcieate it.

I own nothing

Tara sat under a tree picking at the grass. She was wearing the dress her mom had boughten for her first day back to school. They had argued about Tara going to school over the last few weeks. She was smart she could home school herself. Tara knew her mom wasn't going to make it very much longer and she didn't see the point in school when her mom was dying. There just wasn't enough time. There'd never be enough time. Her eyes drifted upward when she saw someone's shadow.

"Hey" Thomas said as he sat down beside her. "You look beautiful in your dress."

"Thanks" Tara said offhandedly. "My mom picked it out for me."

"Your mom has good taste."

"The best." Tara said as the tears began to fall down her cheeks. She buried her face in his should. Thomas sat there quietly until Tara calmed.

"You know, my mom says you're mom is the best woman she's ever known." Thomas said running his hand through Tara's hair. "I disagreed with her. I told her she birthed the best woman I'll ever know. Your mom will never be completely gone because you're just like her. She'll always be apart of you."

Tara lifted her head up and allowed a small smile to grace her lips. "You really think I'm like my mother?"

"Yes. I really do. But I also think you're prettier."

Tara leaned forward and quickly pressed her lips to his. She had pulled away with a quick thank you and dashed off towards the school doors before he could respond. Thomas wouldn't loose that smile for days.

Thomas's eleventh birthday was today. Tara had drug her dad to the store to help her pick out a present while her mom slept. She couldn't help but wonder if her mom would make it to her thirteenth birthday. Just one more month and she'd be in the clear. As they walked around the mall her dad would huff when she'd walk by a store and then make them turn around again just to change her mind and keep walking.

"Hey, princess. Why don't we go into a store?"

Tara snuck a glance up at her dad.

"I just want the perfect present."

"Well, to pick out a present you actually have to look at them."

Tara sighed and turned into the next store. It turned out to be one of those shabby jewelry stores and Tara could see the distaste cross over her dads features. About halfway into the store Tara saw a thick leather watch with the metal shaped like a motorcycle.

"Dad look!" Tara said with excitement pull up the watch and shoving it into her old mans face.

"What do you think?"

"It's perfect kid. We should get it and head out or we'll be late."

Tara happily turned to the register.

Hours later Kat was sitting in a lawn chair under a large canopy next to Gemma.

"How you feelin' these days?"

"Most days I'm just really tired. Others the pain is so overwhelming I'm nauseous and all I can do is lay around."

Gemma placed her hand over her friends.

"And Tara?"

"She's a strong girl. Tougher then she lets on. She's only let me see her cry once."

"She's one of us. What did you expect?"

"I'm just worried about her. I don't know how well Tom is gonna handle this. When I'm gone... When I... When I die... Will you watch over Tara?"

Gemma nodded reassuringly "you know I love her like she's one of my own."

"Even if your boys end up fighting over her?"

Gemma let out a laugh "yes I will. Why? You know something about those three I don't?" Kat nodded with a wry smile. "My daughter has already kissed two boys. First one was Jax and the second was Thomas."

Gemma looked over at the little girl happily handing over a meticulously wrapped present to her youngest son. She didn't know exactly how she felt about this little girl messing around with her sons feeling. Jax would be okay. He was a little ladies man. He'd flirt with pretty much any girl that walked by and she knew he'd kissed way more then Tara's two boys. But Thomas... She could pretty much figure Tara was his first kiss.

Tara sat in one of the hospital waiting room chairs stock straight and as quite as can be. She'd done nothing but sit quietly since they arrived. Her mom had gotten worse through the night and words like Hospice and death had been passed around all week. She was feeling sick to her stomach As she thought about how her mother looked. Heaving into a trash can pale and boney. She hadn't eaten a thing in days. Tara never thought the day would come that she didn't want her mom to keep fighting. But right now sitting here in this waiting room she wondered if her mom knew how much she appreciated the fight she'd put up. Tara stood and strode to the desk.

"I'd like to go see my mother. Kat Whitney. Please"

The girl at the desk looked frazzled for a moment. But she nodded her head and let the little girl through.

Tara strode purposely to room six and walked by the curtain. She could see the tears in her fathers eyes as he dusted her mothers face with kisses.

"Honey" The words slipped like a whisper out of her mothers mouth.

"Dad... Can I talk to mom alone for a minute?"

"Sure baby." Her dad said leaving a lingering kiss on her forehead before marching out of the room to be with the rest of the sons waiting in the hallway. Tara took the six steps to her mothers stretcher on shaky legs.

"Mom... I... I.. Want you to know how much I appreciate you. How much you fighting so hard means to me. I love you mommy."

Tears began to fall as her mom scooted over and she tucked herself in beside her on the stretcher. "Mom you don't have to fight anymore. I understand." Sons began to rack her body as buried her face in her mothers gown. "I don't want you to hurt anymore."

"Oh... Baby." Kat pulled her daughters face up so she could look at her. "I love you honey and I fought for me just as much as I fought for you. I want more time to see you grow into a woman. I love you baby. Always remember I love you so much and I'll love you forever."


	3. Little talks

Thank you for reading this! Sorry it's taken so long to post.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Tara let a giggle as she stared Tig down across their makeshift table. The guys had started a game of poker and she's asked to join. The men agreed knowing she's need the distraction. Tig shook his head at the strong jawed little girl. She looked just like her Momma.

"I call." Tara stated with a playful grin. Piney turned their last card over and her smile grew. Tig could help but chuckle. Girl didn't know how to bluff.

"Check" Tig let out sternly.

"Raise" Tara said sliding out half her peanuts.

"Fold" Tig said.

Tara smiled and started scooping the peanuts into her house pile. The sliding glass doors opened and two blonde headed boys wondered in.

"Tara!" Thomas called.

"Tommy! Jax!" Tara jumped up and barreled into the boys sides wrapping her arms around them.

The guys laughed and Tig grabbed Tara's cards that U.S. Been left on the table. Nothing... That little girl had nothing. She'd bluffed him. Bobby tilted his head over and looked at her cards.

"She's smarter then she looks man."

The guys couldn't help but laugh at Tig's crestfallen expression.

Gemma stood in front of Tara.

"Hey baby." She said softly holding her arms out to the girl that had begun to grow like a weed. Tara wrapped her arms around her and for the second time that day tears began to fall from her eyes.

"It'll be okay baby. We're here for you."

Tara never said a word just held on to Gemma as tightly as her little arms could. They stood like that for what seemed like ages.

"Hey... Ma. You can't hog Tara." Jax said elbowing his way between the two. And throwing his arm over Tara's shoulder.

"We brought your favorite sandwich from Boogie's." He said dragging her away to the bags that had been set on one of the chairs.

"Hey..." Jax whispered in Tara's ear. "I'll always be here for you." He kissed her forehead and released her so he pulls grab their food.

They'd snuck off. Tara and Jax. To some supply closet down the hall. They sat with their backs against the door and their food by their feet. Mostly untouched.

"You know..." Jax said with a grin. "The last time we were in a closet together-

"Shut up Jackson!" Tara spat hitting him in his shoulder with her arm.

"Owe..." Jax said rubbing at his arm.

"That did not hurt!" Tara stated rolling her eyes.

"I'm placating you."

"Wow Teller, I didn't realize you knew such a big word."

"Haha... Not everyone can be as smart as know-it-all Knowles." He said swiping the pickle of her plate and taking a bite.

"Hey! That's mine!" Tara spat reaching for her pickle back.

"Says the girl who hasn't touched her sandwich. I'll give it back if you actually eat something."

"Watch me." Tara spat grabbing the pickle that was on Jax's plate and taking a large bite. They are in relative silence for a while till they heard a knock on the door.

"Thanks for ditching me guys." Thomas said through the door. "Open up."

Tara laughed as they slid out of the way and opened up the door.

"How is it you always seem to know where we are without even looking?" Tara asked smiling.

Thomas shrugged "I just know... It's like my sixth sense."

Jax let out a laugh "he's a freaking ninja babe. He could find us anywhere."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Tara sat quietly with her legs crossed under her. She was hiding in the coat closet at the funeral home. The shell of her mother in that coffin made her nauseous. That was not her complexion. Not the fullness of her finger that she'd run through Tara's hair. That quietness that stillness wasn't her mother. Her mother radiated energy. She just couldn't do it anymore. She tucked her head into her knees and willed herself somewhere else. She looked up when she heard the door opening fearful it was someone to drag her back to that coffin.

"Tara?" Came Thomas's soft voice. "Hey." He said sitting text to her and wrapping his arm around her shoulder. "Whatcha thinking about?"

"Wanting to be anywhere else in the world right now."

"Well... There's supposed to be like the best beach in the US in Hawaii. White sand blue clear water. You can see the fish swimming by."

"That would be cool." Tara said with a soft smile.

"Right? I could burry everything but your head in the sand. Wait for crabs to get you"

Tara giggle "or I could hurry you in the sand and right before high tide. See how long you could hold your breath."

"That's evil."

"You know I'd save you."

"Please... Teller's do not need saving."

"Oh yeah?" Said Tara giving Thomas a stern look.

"I heard your dad tell your mom she saved him."

"He was being nice."

"Nope." Tara said sternly "her love saved him. And besides I'm no damsel in distress. I can save myself"

"That I don't doubt. But isn't it nice to know you don't have too?"


End file.
